Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) is one of remote detection apparatuses that can irradiate a target object with light (e.g., a laser beam), analyze light reflected by the corresponding object, and measure distance, direction, velocity, temperature, material distribution, concentration property, and the like of the corresponding object. The LIDAR may more precisely measure physical properties (temperature, material distribution, concentration property, etc.), distance, direction, and velocity of an object by utilizing an advantage of a laser that can generate a pulse signal having a high energy density and a short period.
The LIDAR is being used in various fields such as 3-dimensional (3D) image acquisition, meteorological observation, measurement of velocity or distance of an object, automatic driving, and the like by using a laser beam source having a specific wavelength or a laser beam source of which a wavelength is changeable as a light source. For example, the LIDAR is being used for precise analysis of atmospheric and global environmental observations by being mounted on aircraft, satellites, and the like, and is being used as a means for compensating for a camera function such as distance measurement to an object and the like by being mounted on spacecraft and exploration robots. In addition, on the ground, technologies for LIDAR sensors having a simple form for long-distance measurement, car speed enforcement, and the like are being commercialized. Recently, the LIDAR is being used for 3D reverse engineering, autonomous cars, and the like by being used as a laser scanner or a 3D video camera.
A 3D laser scanner type of LIDAR which is recently widely used includes a head including a plurality of laser outputting devices and a plurality of laser sensors, and mechanically rotates the head using a motor. However, since such a type of LIDAR uses the plurality of laser outputting devices and the plurality of laser sensors, it is expensive and has a limitation that a viewing update period depends on a rotational velocity of its head.
Korea Patent No. 10-1417431, which relates to a 3D spatial information generation system using a LIDAR sensor, provides a 3D spatial information generation system using a LIDAR sensor including a two-dimensional (2D) LIDAR sensor unit mounted on the center of the outside of a vehicle wheel and configured to rotate with the wheel, an angle sensor configured to measure the rotation angle of the vehicle wheel, and a processing unit configured to generate 3D spatial information by reflecting the rotation angle measured by the angle sensor on 2D information measured by the LIDAR sensor unit.